| The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all | | | | AUSTRIA - The suckling pig is the symbol for good |
| the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of | | | | luck for the new year. It's served on a table decorated |
| early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. | | | | with tiny edible pigs. Dessert often consists of green |
| With two faces, Janus could look back on past events | | | | peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf |
| and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient | | | | clover. |
| symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for | | | | ENGLAND - The British place their fortunes for the |
| forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged | | | | coming year in the hands of their first guest. They |
| gifts before the beginning of each year. | | | | believe the first visitor of each year should be male |
| The New Year has not always begun on January 1, | | | | and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire, a |
| and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It | | | | loaf for the table and a drink for the master. For good |
| begins on that date only for cultures that use a | | | | luck, the guest should enter through the front door and |
| 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the | | | | leave through the back. Guests who are |
| beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius | | | | empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter |
| Caesar developed a calendar that would more | | | | first. |
| accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars | | | | WALES - At the first toll of midnight, the back door is |
| had. | | | | opened and then shut to release the old year and lock |
| The Romans named the first month of the year after | | | | out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the |
| Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors | | | | clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is |
| and entrances. He was always depicted with two | | | | welcomed with all of its luck. |
| faces, one on the front of his head and one on the | | | | HAITI - In Haiti, New Year's Day is a sign of the year |
| back. Thus he could look backward and forward at | | | | to come. Haitians wear new clothing and exchange |
| the same time. At midnight on December 31, the | | | | gifts in the hope that it will bode well for the new year. |
| Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year | | | | SICILY - An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will |
| and forward to the new. | | | | come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, |
| The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on | | | | but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle |
| New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from | | | | will bring bad luck. |
| sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins | | | | SPAIN - In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, the |
| imprinted with the god Janus became more common | | | | Spanish eat 12 grapes, one with every toll, to bring |
| New Year's gifts. | | | | good luck for the 12 months ahead. |
| In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's | | | | PERU - The Peruvian New Year's custom is a spin on |
| Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they | | | | the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the turn of |
| changed it to March 25, a holiday called the | | | | the year. But in Peru, a 13th grape must be eaten to |
| Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory | | | | assure good luck. |
| XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of | | | | GREECE - A special New Year's bread is baked with |
| the New Year was returned to January 1. | | | | a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the |
| The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar | | | | Christ child, the second for the father of the household |
| calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, | | | | and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds |
| however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 | | | | the coin, spring will come early that year. |
| days because the months are based on the phases | | | | JAPAN - The Japanese decorate their homes in |
| of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their | | | | tribute to lucky gods. One tradition, kadomatsu, consists |
| new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over | | | | of a pine branch symbolizing longevity, a bamboo stalk |
| the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime | | | | symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom showing |
| between January 19 and February 21. | | | | nobility. |
| Although the date for New Year's Day is not the | | | | CHINA - For the Chinese New Year, every front door |
| same in every culture, it is always a time for | | | | is adorned with a fresh coat of red paint, red being a |
| celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the | | | | symbol of good luck and happiness. Although the |
| coming year. | | | | whole family prepares a feast for the New Year, all |
| Ancient New Years | | | | knives are put away for 24 hours to keep anyone |
| The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all | | | | from cutting themselves, which is thought to cut the |
| holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about | | | | family's good luck for the next year. |
| 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, | | | | UNITED STATES - The kiss shared at the stroke of |
| Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year | | | | midnight in the United States is derived from masked |
| on what is now March 23, although they themselves | | | | balls that have been common throughout history. As |
| had no written calendar. | | | | tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the |
| Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning | | | | old year and the kiss is the purification into the new |
| of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins | | | | year. |
| and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other | | | | NORWAY - Norwegians make rice pudding at New |
| hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It | | | | Year's and hide one whole almond within. Guaranteed |
| is purely arbitrary. | | | | wealth goes to the person whose serving holds the |
| The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for | | | | lucky almond. |
| eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of | | | | Chinese New Year |
| celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New | | | | Except for a very few number of people who can |
| Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison. | | | | keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, |
| The Romans continued to observe the New Year on | | | | the majority of the Chinese today have to rely on a |
| March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered | | | | typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore, you cannot |
| with by various emperors so that the calendar soon | | | | talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the |
| became out of synchronization with the sun. | | | | Chinese calendar at first. |
| In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in | | | | A Chinese calendar consists of both the Gregorian |
| 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the | | | | and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year |
| New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, | | | | into twelve month, each of which is in turn equally |
| in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as | | | | divided into thirty- nine and a half days. The |
| the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as | | | | well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the |
| the New Year. But in order to synchronize the | | | | Chinese ingenuity. |
| calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous | | | | There is also a system that marks the years in a |
| year drag on for 445 days. | | | | twelve-year cycle, naming each of them after an |
| Global Good Luck Traditions | | | | animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, |
| With New Year's upon us, here's a look at some of | | | | Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People |
| the good luck rituals from around the world. They are | | | | born in a particular year are believed to share some of |
| believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the | | | | the personalities of that particular animal. |
| coming year. | | | | |